Tractor.



G, IVICFARLAND L C. F. LOOIVIIS.

TRACTOR. APPLICATION FILED JULY 30.1914.

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TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY 30. I9I4.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. Mb, 119i?.

Application iled July 30, 1914. Serial No. 854,176.

To all 'whom t may concern: Y

Be it known that we, GEORGE MCFARLAND and CECIL F. LooMrs, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTractors; and We do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, which will lenable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to tractors. It pertains' more particularly tothe manner ot disposing the driving gearing and motor upon a tractor ofthe three wheel type whereby to balance the Weight of said gearing andmotor upon the traction or bull-wheel.

One' of the objects of the invention is to produce to a main frame ofpeculiar form for a tractor of the three wheeled type in that it Will beat once very rigid, the least amount of material will be required in itsconstruction thereby keeping the cost of production low, and thesimplification of the operation of shaping into the form required.

The main object of the invention is to so dispose the Weight of themachinery upon the frame of a three Wheeled tractor with reference toits three carrying or ground- Wheels that the guiding of the machine bymeans of the steering ground wheel will be very positive there being notendency of the machine to swing about onl its driving or tractionWheel.

Another and important object is to dispose the various parts of thedriving mechanism upon the frame in such arelation to the traction orbull l Wheel that a perfect balance of the machine Will result with notendency to turn about or deviat from a straight-ahead course. Also, toplace the several gears of the reducing gear of the engine in such aposition with regard to the entire Weight placed upon the frame that thecombined Weights Will be carried directly upon the said tractor Wheel soas to obtain the largest amount of traction that can be realized.

Other objects and advantages with regard to structure Wlll be broughtout as the deand some of its mountings taken on line mofFigl.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the front steering ground Wheel showing aninclined supporting standard or pedestal for the same.

Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the same; and,

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a portion of the Wheel and its standard orpedestal illustrating the position of the steering wheel in turning outof a straight course.

The main frame is composed of but a single length of channel steel whichis bent 'at substantially the middle of its length in two places leavinga short transverse front portion c and creating side portions and Bextending rearwardly the full length of the frame. The portion lB isstraight the Jfull length of the completed frame and is bent parallel tothe portion a into the portion I). rlllhe opposite portion A extendsfrom said transverse portion av rearwardly and ont- Wardly at an obtuseangle constantly increasing in distance from the portion l' until itreaches the full width et' the nished frame, the length of the angledportion be- -ing substantially two thirds of tht` length of the frame.Said portion is then bent into a rearwardly extending portion c parallelto the portion B, thence being bent at an obtuse angle and extendingrearwardly toward the portion b forming the portion (Z which isconnected with Z), the ends of d and l) being secured together by meansof bolts L for example. rllhis forms a substantially triangular framethat is at once strong and rigid, requiring the least amount ot metaland cheaply produced.

F is a brace of channel steel lying upon and extending transversely ofthe frame near the forward end and parallel to it is a similar brace Gupon both of which is mounted the engine or motor H by means of crossmembers J, Figs. 1 and 2a. Said brace G extends but part way across theframe and it and the brace F lie above the top surface of the frame andare supported thereon, Since said brace G extends but part way acrossthe frame a support is required for one of its ends which is furnishedin a brace K lying beneath it and secured at the one end to the frameportion A, being bent at right angles forwardly 4at its outer end, its

extremity being attached to the under side oit l1? the brace F. lnaddition, there is secured to the brace l at the end last mentioned li,U

accessibi ty, and the disposition of the reversing mechanism and clutchportion all of which will appear presently.

l' Extending longitudinally of the machine is a brace N its ends havingattachment to the rear end of the frame and the member G described.Parallel to said member N is a similar member O attached at its ends tothe same membersas said member N. P indicates the bull wheel whose axleQ, is secured in any suitable manner at one end to the frame part B andwhose other end 1s secured upon the member O just described, it beingobserved that the said wheel has a position close to one side of theframe, in this instance the right hand side.

Secured 4to the bull wheel is a ring gear R in mesh with which is apinion S mounted upon a shaft T liournaled across the members N O, saidshaft carrying a gear U which meshes with a pinion V on a shaft Wjournaled on the members N O B. This shaft carries a large gear 2 inmesh with a pinion 3 on a shaft 4 axially coincident with the shaft 5 ofthe engine or motor H.

The train of gears thus provided admits of running the engine at a highrate of speed and delivering at the bull wheel great power due to thereduction or stepping down method.

6 is indicative of a clutch for connecting the shafts 4 and 5, and? is arock shaft carrying a shifting fork 8 for shifting a part (not shown) ofsaid clutch. This sha t is rocked by means of a rod 8 attached to abell-crank lever 82 connected in turn with a hand lever 83 through a rod84, the said lever 83 being easy of raccess from the drivers seat. Tothis, however, we lay no claim to novelty,

The pinion 3 described is one of a reversing gear-set which we have notbelieved neeessary to illustrate and by which the tractor may bereversed in its direction of advance in the field. 9 is a lever 'foroperating said reversing gear-set' through a lever 10 at the rear of themachine near the drivers seat 11, the two levers being connected by arod 12. The shaft 4 is provided with a pulley 13 for driving any form ofmachinery from the engine when the tractor is to be used for thatpurpose.

14 is indicative of any usual or desired form of radiator for thecooling water for the engine and 15 is a fuel supply tank. The otherparts for the motor have not been illustrated since they are notrequired for the understanding of the present invention.

16 is a ground wheel located opposite the ysteering rod 23 engaging it.

hollow or tubular pedestal C as part of,

the described arm C through which extends a shaft 19 whose lower endextends at right angles and carries said wheel, there being any suitablecasting 20 for carrying the pedestal and protecting'the wheel bearing.

The upper end of the shaft 19 has secured thereto a worm wheel 21 and aworm 22 on a The steering rod extends rearwardly to the drivers seat andis provided with any usual steering wheel 24. The pedestal is inclinedat an angle forwardly so that its lower end lies vahead of its upperend. The pedestal is provided with extensions 25 and 26 forming bearingsfor the steering rod.

Due to the fact that the axis about which the wheel 17 turns is inclinedin a forward direction, the said Wheel when turned out on a straightahead course in turning sidewise, or in turning a corner, the wheel mustalso take up an inclined position, its plane being inclined at an angleto the line of advance as indicated in F ig. 5, it being observed thatthe face of the Wheel tends to bank upon the soil whereby a largesurface engages the soil to resist a tendency to skid due to the driveor push from behind delivered by the traction Wheel l?. 'v

`When a steering ground wheel turns about a vertical axis its tendencyis to skid for the reason that it does not have sufhcient but this hasnot been found to yield the proper results and, in consequence, we haveVdevised the structure herein which is found in practice to preventslidding and cause the machine to act more quickly in turning out of astraight ahead course. 1n addition to this advantage there is that ofbringing that portion of the wheel which rst meets obstructions intoline with the axis of the pedestal and shaft 19 so that blowstransmitted to the frame will tend to lift it rather than to fracture orsnap the pedestal as often happens when the latter occupies a verticalposition.

Referring again to the mounting of the machine parts upon the frame, itis observed that the engine or motor H is placed forward of the bullwheel and close toit so that it and the gearing between it and thetraction wheel is carried upon said wheel the wheel 16 acting littlemore than to support liti naaaeea a slight weight of that side of theframe't/o which it is attached.

rllhat is to say, the gearing made up of the' gears 2 and 3 and gears Vand IlU, also gears S and R, are all placed around therbull wheel insuch a way that the whole, in effect, is balanced upon the tractionwheel, all of the weights being distributed upon the frame with this endin view. The said traction wheel thus practically supports all ofthe4weight and when the power is applied the comes a drag resulting in atendency of the machine to turn around on the traction wheel, the latteracting as a pivot so that there is constant drag sidewise and anindifferent operation of the machine.

Now, by placing practically all of the weight' on the traction wheel,the wheel 16 merely acting as a support for carrying but little weight,comparatively, the front caster wheel 17 has absolute control of thedirection of movement; and by placing it directly ahead of said tractionwheelk there is no side swinging or pivoting tendency while a turn tothe right or left of said steeringwheel causes the machine to answer atonce 'to that movement.

' The rotation of the motor tends to lift the front end of the machineand place the weight thereof upon the axle ofv the bullwheel for thereason that the pinion S has a tendency to climb upon the ring gear R indriving said bull-wheel. Therefore, with the disposal of the weights asdescribed around the latter, the gearing V U S R being close to it, themotor being adjacent said wheel and in front of it, and the heavyreversing gear being at the opposite side of the wheel with the climbingtendency, it is seenA that said bull-wheel must carry all the weight,there being but little weight irnposed upon the steering wheel and thewheel 16. O The motor ll, itwill be observed, lies parallel to the faceof the bull-wheel so as te better balance its weight and that of thereversing gears 2, 3, as equally as passible upon said wheel; thisbeingaided by the weight of the radiator at lll. lt is observed, further,that the motor in order to be readily geared back to the bullwheel andplaced as close to the latter as possible, and also in order to make usenf its weight, is )laced so as to parallel the face of the sait wheel,Iihe disfpcsal of these weights is an advantage as outlined, thisdisposal being apparently new in the Having thus described theinvention, we claim l. lln a tractor, in combination, a frame and atraction wheel supporting the same including a gear fixed relatively toit, a motor mounted upon the frame forward of the traction wheel, aspeed reducing gear train intermediate the gear of the traction wheeland that ofthe motor and operatively engaging both, the weight of themotor and gearing being disposed close to the said' wheel.

2. ln a tractor, in combination, a traction wheel, a main frame mountedthereon, a gear fixed relatively to said wheel, a motor forward of thewheel parallel to its face, a speed reducing gear-set interposed betweenthe motor 4and the wheel and operatively engaging both7 the said motorand the said gear-set being disposed adjacent the traction wheel wherebyin the operation of the machine the weight of the said motor, thegearing and the frame are substantially balanced upon and supported bysaid traction wheel.

3. ln a tractor, in combination, a main frame, a traction i wheelsupporting said frame including a gear fixed relative to it, a motorlying forward of said wheel parallel to its face, a Speed reducing'gear-set and a reversing gear-'set interposed between the Said gear aridthe motor and operatively engaging both, the two sets and the motorbeing disposed upon the frame at said traction wheel so thatV the'center of gravity of the weights of the parts mentioned aresubstantially balanced upon the latter.

t 4. :ln a tractor, in combination, a main frame, a traction wheelsupporting said frame including a gear fixed relative to it, a motorlying forward of said wheel parallel,I to its face, a speed reducinggear-set and a reversing gear set interposed between the said gear andthe motor and operatively engaging both, the two sets and the motorbeing disposed upon the frame at said traction wheel so that the centerof gravity of the weights of the parts mentioned are substantiallybalanced upon the latter, a second 'wheel at one side of the frame, anda front steering wheel at the forward eide of said frame.

5., ll'n a tractor, the combination with its main frame, and a tractionwheel including a gear, of secondary frame structure ein 'tendingtransversely cf the main .frame forward of the wheel, a motor mounted onsaid secondary :frame and having its shaft dis'- posed parallel te theface of the wheel, a reducing gear-set and a reversing gear-set mountedupon the machine frame and interposed between the motor and the tractionwheel and operatively engaging both, portions of the gcarings singdisposed at opposite ,sides of the wheel, the motor and the said gearingbeing disposedv with reference to the wheel whereby in the operation ofthe motor in the field the weights are thrust upon and substantiallybalanced upon the said wheel. l

6. In a tractor, the combination with its main frame, a traction wheelincluding a gear, of a cross-frame structure forward of the tractionwheel and supported upon the main frame adjacent the face of thetraction wheel7 one end of the said frame structure being spaced fromone side of the main frame, means extending across and secured to saidmain frame beneath the said frame structure for supporting it, a motormounted upon the frame Structure 'including its drive shaft and a gear,the latter depending within the space between the said frame structureand the main frame substantially in a horizontal line with the axis ofrotation of the traction wheel, longitudinal frame members lyingsubstantially parallel to the plane of the traction Wheel, a reducinggearset mounted upon the main frame and said longitudinal frame members,said gearsset being interposed between the gear of the motor shaft andthat of the traction wheel and engaging both, the gear of the setengaging that of the motor shaft lying in the space between thecross-frame structure and a portion of the said main frame,

7.' In atractor, the combination with a traction wheel, a frame mountedupon and supported by it, a gear iixed relatively to the traction wheel,a shaft extending substantially parallel to the face of the wheel andextending beyond each side of the same,

a reducing gear-set operatively engaging one end of the shaft and thedescribed gear of the traction wheel, a motor lying forward of thetraction wheel, a reversing gearset interposed between the motor shaftand the opposite end of the first described shaft,- v

the weights of the described motor and gearings thus disposed beingplaced upon the traction wheel in the operation of the tractor in thefield.

8. In a tractor, the combination with a traction wheel including a gearfixed relatively thereto, and a inaln frame, of an auxiliary frameportion lying close to and substantially parallel to the plane of thewheel,

a cross frame structure forward of the wheel, a motor mounted upon thesaid cross frame structure with its shaft substantially parallel to the-face of the wheel, a shaft mounted upon the frame forward of andparallel to the face of the wheel, a reversing gear-set placed betweenthe motor shaft and onefend of the last described shaft,

a reducing gear-set at the other end of the GEORGE MCFARLAND. CECIL F.LOOMIS.

Witnesses:

IJ. E. SUTHERLAND, L. M. Tainnnow.

upon the

